Regents
by theplaywrite
Summary: Nobody knew how close Kalin and Jack really were and how desperately Jack wanted his Kalin back.


Regents

Jack never let Yusei see that he was also in distress upon seeing Kalin Kessler as a Dark Signer. He had punched Yusei in the face and told him to forget about Kalin. Kalin was the bad guy now and they had to do whatever they could to protect the city and Satellite. They had to stop their crazed ex-leader before he destroyed the island they all once tried to save.

However, that stern and harsh demeanor Jack put on was only an illusion. After losing his title and dragging Carly into the Signer's war, seeing his old friend cloaked in darkness almost pushed Jack over the edge.

That was his Kalin who was trying to kill Yusei...or at least that once was his Kalin.

* * *

It was late into the night when a raging thunderstorm was preventing Jack from getting any sleep. After tossing and turning under the thin sheets for who knows who long, Jack left his room and went into the shared living space of the hideout, expecting it to be empty. Instead, Jack saw Kalin sitting back in a chair with his legs kicked up and hands behind his head, gazing at the storm outside.

"Figures you'd be awake." Jack commented, reaching for a chair for himself.

Kalin turned to the voice. "Just thinking of plans for the next zone we're going to take."

"Is that all you think about?" Jack swung his chair around and placed it right next to Kalin. He took a seat and joined his leader in watching the rain pour down and the occasional stroke of lightening that flashed across the sky. "I wonder if the rain looks any different in the city?"

Kalin chuckled at the idiotic question. "Less polluted maybe."

There was more silence, only it was not uncomfortable. It was actually kind of nice for the two friends to sit and watch the storm together in some form of peace.

"You want to go there, don't you? The city." Kalin spoke to break the silence, never taking his eyes off of the rainfall.

Jack glanced over at him. "Well, it beats being here."

"Aren't your friends here? And Martha? And all the progress we've made with getting Satellite to be a safer place."

"Doesn't change the fact that it's still the city's trash can."

Kalin chuckled again. "So then I'll be king of Satellite and you'll be king of Neo Domino City."

Jack smirked. Kalin really seemed to know how to lift anyone's spirit when they are facing hell. "What about Yusei and Crow?"

"We'll find Crow a nest and Yusei a workshop."

"Harsh." Jack laughed some more. He stared at Kalin, who was still smiling. After another long moment of silence, Jack spoke again. "Why us?"

"What?" Kalin turned his head at the now unusual question.

"Why did you start this team with us? I'm sure with your street smarts and persuasion tactics, you could have gotten guys better than us for your big plan of taking over Satellite."

Kalin brought his hands and legs down, now sitting in a slumped position. "Who says you're not the best in Satellite?"

"Is that a compliment?"

"A statment."

Jack sighed. Once again, another long moment passed with no interactions. It seemed that Kalin was the only person Jack could have a conversation like this with. "Kalin, how did you get me to join your team? You know just as well as everybody else I'm more likely to look out for myself over others."

"You came along with Yusei."

"No." Jack thought back to the earlier days. "Yusei came along with me and so did Crow to an extent."

"I don't know. Maybe you have a crush on me." Kalin joked to break any tension forming.

"Fat chance, bastard. Like I would go for Satellite trash."

"Aren't you Satellite trash?"

"Doesn't mean I want to be with one."

"You never know. They could surprise you."

Jack suddenly did not know what to say. The only thing he could think to do was lean in and kiss Kalin. And of course that action would get him punched in the face or worse. And where was that thought even coming from? Jack admired Kalin, yes, but could he possibly be...attracted to him? "I guess when the right ideas are put into our heads...us Satellite trash can surprise anyone...even each other."

Kalin was now staring at Jack in confusion, but all Jack saw were those golden eyes that pulled him into all this duel gang mess in the first place.

Jack leaned over to Kalin, who did not back up or protest in anyway. Guess people from Satellite really were full of surprises. Jack quickly pressed his lips against Kalin's. Neither of them knew exactly what to do in a situation like this, expect close their eyes and take turns to give the other a moment to push into the kiss. When they finally did pull apart, both Jack and Kalin were afraid of each other.

"Why did that feel good?" Kalin asked in a whisper.

"Surprise." Jack moved back in and kissed Kalin again, only this time for longer and they experimented more with moving their mouths around. Kalin even grabbed Jack's shoulders. The two wrestled for control, and Jack was not simply going to give that up to his leader this time.

And that was when Kalin and Jack's relationship changed forever.

At any point those two found themselves alone together, they would grab each other and find pleasure in long heated sessions. It never went past kissing and holding onto one another. They were content with fighting over who would be pushed back against a wall.

Jack assumed Yusei and Crow would find out soon enough and maybe want to get in on the action, even if the thought of sharing Kalin like that was a bit sour. However, the younger two stayed oblivious to Jack and Kalin's new activity, partially thanks to how they did not let it affect their everyday interactions. The sessions were something done only when they were certain they were alone or late at night.

Overtime, it started to grow slowly into something more. Kalin would grab at Jack when he knew others were around and almost beg for a quick second. He also was the one to started moving his hands more, but Jack quickly followed suit. He liked fighting Kalin for control over the sessions and Kalin never simply let Jack take him. Both had to earn being on top of the other.

Things were almost perfect. For a time, Jack did not want to leave Satellite, all thanks to Kalin.

But things changed.

As the team began taking control of even more zones in Satellite, Kalin became power hungry, paranoid and turned into a full on control freak. Yusei, Jack and Crow sensed this change, but did not dare speak up. If only they would have.

One afternoon, Kalin had the team split up to find and destroy every duel disks on the island, so the gangs they defeated could not reform. But before the team parted ways, Kalin pulled Jack aside. In the middle day with sunlight gleaming in all possible directions, Kalin climbed on top of Jack and forced himself onto him. It was not the kind of roughness Jack was used to. Kalin was right out aggressive and pushed Jack to do things the two had never done before.

Kalin grouping into his pants and forcefully biting Jack's lip set off a dozen alarms. He wanted to stop Kalin, but he was not the victor in this final session. It was then Jack decided he needed a break from Kalin, from the team and from what they were doing. Kalin had changed with his dreams of conquering Satellite coming true, but Jack had yet to accept this new side of his leader.

And everything went downhill from there.

* * *

Kalin was waiting at the hospital checkout desk for his records to be finalized. After spending two weeks in the hospital following the defeat of the Dark Signers, he was physically recovered and cleared to leave. The only question was where to go now?

Walking out through the hospital doors, Kalin saw a familiar face waiting for him. "What do you plan on doing now?" Jack asked, trying to gage how Kalin was feeling.

"I'm surprised you're here and not Yusei. He wouldn't stop visiting me, even when I told him to leave."

"He's moving to the city permanently. I'm not sure about Crow yet with his kids." Jack informed Kalin of their old friends situations. "I don't really have any place to go either. Maybe the four of us could make it in the city together."

"No." Kalin cut in, his eyes drawing to the ground. "Not yet. I'm sure that's what everybody wants, but not me. I mean...not yet."

Jack walked up to Kalin, wanting to wrap his arms around him, but he resisted. "You don't still hate us, do you?"

"Of course not."

"Well, we don't hate you, and all Yusei and Crow have been talking about for the past two weeks was having the four of us together again."

"Not yet, Jack. I'm sorry."

Jack slowly raised his arms and pulled Kalin in close, meeting no resistance or acceptance. Kalin just stood there.

"We've all been through hell." Jack whispered into Kalin's ear. "But right now, I want you back in my life. We thought you were dead."

"I did die."

Jack slowly and painfully let go of Kalin. He stared into those golden eyes, once so bright and full of life, but were now dull and tired. None of them knew the full extent of the trauma and self-hate Kalin was going through. They did not hate him and they wanted their lost friend back. Kalin did not hate them and part of him wanted Yusei, Jack and Crow back in his life as well. But...just not now. He was not ready yet.

"Then what are you going to do?" Jack asked again.

Kalin thought for a moment. Maybe getting away for a little bit would be good for him. "Grieger said something about going to South America. He offered me-"

"But that's so far away." Jack cut in this time.

"Think about what I did, Jack. All of it. What I put you guys through. What I went through." Kalin tired to smile to make Jack stop worrying, but it was forced and painful. "And I could always come back...right?"

"Right." Jack blinked a couple of times, trying to stop his own tears from forming. He was losing Kalin all over again. The last time Jack lost Kalin it was because he turned into something almost monstrous, got arrested and died in prison. Kalin was in the wrong when he went too far back then and placed blame on Yusei for his arrest, turning into a Dark Signer because of it. Even so, what if way back then, Jack heeded the signs and stopped Kalin before he went off the rails in the first place? That was the only place were guilt laid for him.

But that was in the past. Painful memories sure, but the past no less. Kalin was standing right in front of him now, when once thought died. Sure he was a bit broken, but this was still his Kalin. Somewhere in that broken soul, his Kalin was still there. He had to be. A spirit like his would never die out completely.

"Do you need a ride to the airport?" Jack offered, instantly regretting it. How was he going to explain Kalin's departure to Yusei and Crow?

"Sure." For a split second, Kalin really did smile.

"Kalin?"

"Yeah?"

Jack paused. He was really going to do this. "I don't want to leave things how we left them back then."

"What are you talking about?" Kalin was cut off by Jack pressing his lips against his. It was a quick kiss and Kalin was left wide eyed in shock.

"Let's get going." Jack snapped Kalin back into reality.

"Yeah."

* * *

Jack was in utter shock after hearing where Yusei was and who he was with. They had all but lost contact with Kalin around four months after he left for South America. So when Yusei was found in some far off mining town with Kalin, who apparently went there to commit suicide, Jack did not want to believe it. But he had to and both of his friends needed his help.

After Kalin, Yusei, Jack and Crow saved the town, the three of them assumed Kalin would go back to the city with them. After all, they still wanted it to be the four of them again. But Kalin once again had other ideas. He wanted to be there for the reconstruction of the town and for the two kids, Nico and West, who had lost their father.

Jack tired to protest and wanted to convince Kalin that he should come back to the city with them. But without Yuesi and Crow's backing and Kalin's eyes looking so alive again, Jack would have to leave him in that town.

"Promise you'll visit." Jack had pulled Kalin to the side early in the morning before the trio's departure.

"Of course I will." Kalin was genuinely smiling.

"This...you staying behind, isn't because you can't be with us yet...is it?" Jack asked, feelings of hurt pouring out with his voice.

Kalin knew where this was going. "I want stay and see this town be rebuilt, and I promised the father of those two kids that I would watch over them. Jack, I admit I didn't have a real reason for living when I first came here, but this town and those kids gave me a reason."

And his childhood friends could not be that reason?

"I understand. So now you'll be the king of Crash Town. I guess it's a small step up from the Satellite."

Suddenly, Kalin started to laugh. How long had it been since Jack had heard a genuine laugh from him?

"I don't know if I'm being selfish, but I still wish you would come back with us."

"I know, Jack."

Jack tried to stare into Kalin's golden eyes, but his long, unkempt hair was getting in the way. He reached up and brushed back the strands of hair covering Kalin's face. Kalin had stepped slightly forward at Jack's warm touch. Without speaking another word, both Kalin and Jack moved in to kiss each other. It was reminiscent of the very first kiss they shared, neither one of them giving into the other without a small fight.


End file.
